Author Archives: James

More than two million acres burned in the summer heat and drought. I kept watch on the BC wildfire map and appreciated that my ten year search area remained untouched. In late September, I rented a large SUV and smiled … Continue reading →

The age of the internet has given so many ways of learning the smallest details that add to a story. Newspapers from New York City, of which there are a few, Deadwood in South Dakota, and Seattle have helped me … Continue reading →

The engine shown is very similar to the sixty horsepower Corliss that ran the machinery at Camp McKinney. The engine and equipment were brought in from the defunct Rainbow Mine at Wannacut Lake in Washingron State. The equipment was fully … Continue reading →

When a story such as one about the lost gold bars of Camp McKinney lives on and gets retold, so do the errors. Many writers have enjoyed retelling how James Monaghan cleverly forgot to sign his cheque written for import … Continue reading →

There is something about the red star that concerns me. Over the last century it has come to represent a communist regime. Perhaps a gold star or simple X would be more appropriate in a country where freedom reigns and … Continue reading →

From the company’s website

The above map and info are from the company’s website. Should we be selling off our history?

Several years ago, I visited the Royal BC Museum Archives to harvest the valuable information regarding the trial of Joseph Keane. Mathew Roderick was killed by Keane as he was returning to recover the two gold bars he stashed in … Continue reading →

Video by Frank Fleming with permission from Royal BC Museum AAAA2467

Good treasure hunts start in the library and end in the courtroom. In between are days of reality in the great outdoors, frustration, realization and hopefully success. Over my decade search for the lost gold bars of Camp McKinney, the … Continue reading →